Unfounded tales about corn syrup

I'm writing to correct some misinformation presented by a practitioner of naturopathy who claims that gastrointestinal tract problems are caused by high fructose corn syrup. There's no compelling scientific evidence to support this claim. ( A look at naturopathy, Lifebeat, Aug. 16)

The American Medical Association declared in 2008 that high-fructose corn syrup and processed sugar are handled very similarly by the body. This form of corn sugar has been a part of our diet for decades. And (as with all sweeteners) it's fine as part of a normal diet as long as you don't overdo it.

We shouldn't be surprised by this misguided misdiagnosis. Most states don't license naturopaths as primary-care practitioners. And Massachusetts doctor Kimball Atwood writes that naturopathy is replete with pseudoscientific, ineffective, unethical, and potentially dangerous practices.

Anyone is free, of course, to make dietary decisions based on fringe beliefs or pseudo-scientific dogma. But the rest of us deserve to know what science real science has to say on the subject.